50 Cent Jumps Loan Shark Role For ‘Dead Man Running’

50 Cent’s film career is on fire this year! Weeks ago, he became one of “13” badasses, now he’s jumped into a film that began shooting on Wednesday. According to The Hollywood Reporter, he has signed onto Alex de Rakoff’s London gangster movie “Dead Man Running,” an indie thriller financed by two English soccer players. 50 Cent joins cast members Tamer Hassan (”Layer Cake”), Danny Dyer (”The Business”), Brenda Blethyn (”Secrets and Lies”) and Monet Mazur (”Stoned”).

The film centers around an ex-con who’s trying to become a law abiding citizen again, when he’s given 24 hours to come up with $150,000 to pay off a ruthless loan shark, or become a dead man running. He races from the dog tracks of East London to the drug scene of Manchester in order to raise the money, playing as fast and dirty as he has to in order to get the money before the deadline. 50 Cent won’t be playing the lead of the ex-con, but the part of Thigo, the merciless loan shark.

While this sounds like your standard gangster movie, this one actually borrows from the headlines, as it portrays a criminal world that has been hit just as hard by current economic woes as Wall Street and Main Street. After all, if everyone’s getting laid off, who is going to spend the money on drugs, gambling, and other illegal activities? It’s trickle down economics at work — and it’s no laughing matter if even loan sharks are hurting.

At least we know one guy who isn’t going to be affected by economic woes — 50 Cent. As of right now, he has three films coming out in 2009. Since he clearly doesn’t sleep between them, he may rack up three more roles by December.

Will you be checking out 50’s performance? Do you see him as a Hollywood leading man? Chime in below.


Source: MtvMovies